Can anyone suggest...

X Kelly X

Silver Member
Hi Everyone,

I have just had to cancel my Gym membership :-( due to lack of funds (stupid work wasnt charging me tax correctly so now im paying it all back! :-(

Anyway can anyone suggest how to do this diet cheaper? I do EE at the mo. is green cheaper? also any advice on exercise dvd's would be much appreciated, as i have a few rosemary conley ones but now i cant go to the gym so any thoughts on dvd's which you think give great results would be much much appreciated.
Money is always such an issue! it does my head in! :cry::cry:

Thanks
 
Run up and down the stairs, find a buddy to go walking with (its dark at night now),:gen125: use tins of beans instead of handweights.
Make meals from scratch, dont buy prossessed, eat whats in season, make casseroles to use cheaper cuts of meat (see if you can get a cheap slow cooker on Ebay):eating:

OMG I sound like my mother!!!!!
 
Run up and down the stairs, find a buddy to go walking with (its dark at night now),:gen125: use tins of beans instead of handweights.
Make meals from scratch, dont buy prossessed, eat whats in season, make casseroles to use cheaper cuts of meat (see if you can get a cheap slow cooker on Ebay):eating:


OMG I sound like my mother!!!!!

Thank you for this. I have a slow cooker already so thats one ticked off the list.
Just feeling a bit depressed about it all.
Money sucks!
 
Hi, I follow extra easy and we used to spend a fortune in Tesco every week. We are now down to around £20 a week. We plan our meals ahead of time, eat a lot of the same things every week but make sure we have a different meal for the weekend. We write our shopping list at home, and then check the prices on the Tesco website to see how much we are spending and then make sure we stick to the list. Also, (I know this is bad but........) we buy Tesco value mince meat and chicken breasts - both frozen. I know it's not the extra lean version, but basically that's double the price and I can't afford it. It hasn't affected my weight loss to date so I'm going to stick with it. Veg is buy one get one free there at the minute so getting broccoli and cabbage there. We bought a huge bag of spuds that last a few weeks - works out cheaper in the long run. Tesco value pasta and rice. I've also got ingredients to make 2 different soups on my next shopping list (that's 8 meals for a few pounds). I've stopped buying the exotic fruit (I'd eat a little and then it would go off). We now buy bananas, satsumas and apples every week and that's all the fruit.

As for exercise............how about running?? All you need is a pair of trainers. I've been following the c25k plan and really enjoying it. I can't really advise on dvd's I'm afraid as I find them boring and never do them. How about sticking a cd on though and dancing????? xx
 
Oh, and by a lot of the same thing every week I don't mean the same meal every evening!!! We have 3 or 4 meals that we generally have each week (saves thinking) and then look through the cookbooks for a different recipe a couple of times a week.
 
Thank you for this. I have a slow cooker already so thats one ticked off the list.
Just feeling a bit depressed about it all.
Money sucks!

It certainly does, :sigh: we have found that our weekly shop has increased by approx £30.00 on a bad week. OK we do have 3 cats and like a bottle of Brandy between us but other than that there is nothing in our trolly that is exhorbitant. Meat, veg and fruit, sometime fish enough just for one meal, Mug Shots, pasta, eggs etc that sort of thing. I do not know how people with families still at home manage these days.:confused:
 
Agree with the running! I also always run up stairs (hubby is half my size and can't run up stairs without dying). What did you do at Gym? You can still do steps on the stairs, lunges, etc
Maybe buy or borrow a second hand bike?
Get a pedometer and walk 10k steps a day, my mate marches on the spot in the evening to get hers up to 10k she also marches on the spot when making a brew etc!

If you have a PureGym in your area SW have a deal so no joining fee, costs £16.99 a month.

Food wise, try to slow cook batch recipes, like chilli, casseroles etc,,
 
I walk the dog daily,or use my wii fit, you can just jump around to music for free. I buy £10 worth fruit and veg ,including big bag potatoes from the market every week, this lot would cost me not far off £30 plus in supermarket.

I make my own yogurt for breakfast which costs pennies.
I make a BNS soup on a Sunday ,for my lunches all week, this costs 25p day? Maybe.

Then for tea I have mainly green days,but still third superfree, I have meat once or twice a week as we are skint x
 
Some great advice re shopping.
Definitely check things - I was buying Tesco Market Value bananas thinking they'd be better value than loose bananas. Nope. They are a third more expensive at least!

I also don't buy exotic fruit or unseasonal veg (asparagus, fine beans, courgettes etc are off my list for now!)

Brisket is a good cheap cut of meat. I made a chilli with 1kg of brisket, it made enough for about 8 meals, which is fab!

I rarely buy chicken or mince because I don't like non lean mince (tastes greasy) and I won't buy non free range chicken. This is my personal choice though. So, if we have chicken, I buy a whole chicken and we have a roast, a risotto or curry and then a soup from it. The £7 or so it costs goes a long way. You can do the same with a cheap chicken though, so even better value!!

Soups for lunch are a great cheap meal too.

It is easy to save money, we just sometime don't like the changes - it took me a while to get used to oats rather than oatsosimple, but I did get used to it, and now prefer it and the cost is so much cheaper!
 
Agree with the running! I also always run up stairs (hubby is half my size and can't run up stairs without dying). What did you do at Gym? You can still do steps on the stairs, lunges, etc
Maybe buy or borrow a second hand bike?
Get a pedometer and walk 10k steps a day, my mate marches on the spot in the evening to get hers up to 10k she also marches on the spot when making a brew etc!

If you have a PureGym in your area SW have a deal so no joining fee, costs £16.99 a month.

Food wise, try to slow cook batch recipes, like chilli, casseroles etc,,

Thank You. At the gym i did treadmill, cross trainer and the bike mainly and a few weights.
I will check for puregym for sure as that sounds ideal. I have a pedometer at home already so will pop it on asap! :)
Have just brought myself 2 exercise dvd's. 30 day shred and a 10 minute fat buster one both for £10 altogether so not bad. for now ill carry on with my other dvds and ive got the c25k app on my phone just havent been brave enough to do it yet lol
 
X Kelly X said:
Thank You. At the gym i did treadmill, cross trainer and the bike mainly and a few weights.
I will check for puregym for sure as that sounds ideal. I have a pedometer at home already so will pop it on asap! :)
Have just brought myself 2 exercise dvd's. 30 day shred and a 10 minute fat buster one both for £10 altogether so not bad. for now ill carry on with my other dvds and ive got the c25k app on my phone just havent been brave enough to do it yet lol

Best thing about PureGym is if you're short one month or can't go you can freeze membership and pay £3.99 but you can't go for that month!
I was doing c25k and just repeated week one three times but when I moved on I had to stop as my knee packed up! But well worth it, the first week I couldn't even do a minute running by the third repeat I could do it easily even at over 18.5 stone!
 
you could locally advertise yourself as a dog walker - then you get money and exercise? Double win.
:chores016:
Depends if you like dogs i guess?!?!?!
 
Best thing about PureGym is if you're short one month or can't go you can freeze membership and pay £3.99 but you can't go for that month!
I was doing c25k and just repeated week one three times but when I moved on I had to stop as my knee packed up! But well worth it, the first week I couldn't even do a minute running by the third repeat I could do it easily even at over 18.5 stone!

Ive checked the pure gym website and my nearest one is 32 miles away in london. :-(
Im worried about starting the c25k cus I am still very heavy. Ive only lost a stone so far so im in the 21st bracket and size 26 but i will give it a go. I have a decent sports bra and decent trainers so hopefully might get on to it. after WI tonight i might treat myself to something after to cheer myself up. :17729:
 
X Kelly X said:
Ive checked the pure gym website and my nearest one is 32 miles away in london. :-(
Im worried about starting the c25k cus I am still very heavy. Ive only lost a stone so far so im in the 21st bracket and size 26 but i will give it a go. I have a decent sports bra and decent trainers so hopefully might get on to it. after WI tonight i might treat myself to something after to cheer myself up. :17729:

Oh poop! What a fooh!
 
you could locally advertise yourself as a dog walker - then you get money and exercise? Double win.
:chores016:
Depends if you like dogs i guess?!?!?!

Some brilliant ideas here especially this one of Mrs. Bears. What a brilliant way to get some really enjoyable exercise and get paid. I know you work so time-wise it could be hard but there are folks like me that work at the weekends who would love someone to *do* my animals at lunchtime for me.

Right on the food front............... our financial situation is precarious to say the very least. We have no regular source of income and never know how much we will have.

To be able to cope with what would otherwise become a depressing way of life I enjoy the challenge of managing on what we have each week. It becomes really enjoyable seeing just what you can buy and what food you can produce on next to nothing.

The only meat we eat is what I buy that is on it's sell buy date and 2 for the price of one. In other words half price. If you freeze it is still as fresh as the day you bought it when you come to use it. I too use normal mince and drain the fat off when it is cooked or if it is in a stew I make it the day before, leave it in the fridge over night and then lift off any fat that has solidified. A bit more work but worth it.
I use lots of chickpeas as a substitute for meat, also haricot beans and lentils. I buy all of them cooked, they come in jars here and are so cheap.
A cottage pie made with baked beans instead of mince meat is delicious if you spice up the beans a little with some cumin or some 5 spice. I chop onion very finely and add it to the mash and put the lot in the oven to brown the top off. If we have cheese, which is most of the time ( Iceland have some great cheese offers and it freezes so well ) I use my hex allowance to top it off.....yummy and so cheap.
I make stews and soups with whatever is cheapest at the time. At the moment I am buying carrots at a ridiculously cheap price, so carrot, onion and potato soup is on the menu.
Green days are more normal here but Turkey is on offer and so cheap so I have 2 turkey fillets for tomorrow and I am doing pizza topped turkey tomorrow. It will not be exactly as the recipe but will still be good and very cheap.
Recently red peppers and tomatoes were a give-away price so I bought loads and put them in the freezer uncooked. I am still taking them out and using them to cook with.
Eggs too are a cheap and nutricious source of protien and free on all plans. I make a huge Spanish omelet, that is with potato and onion as the filling. We have it as a meal hot and the rest is eaten cold in slices for the weekends lunch box or just for lunch with lots of salad in season. Curried eggs is another one, SW, egg chips and beans, SW quiche etc.etc.
I could go on forever with economy meals and ways to safe money so if you want to PM me with anything at all please feel free too.

Just before I go.....I have 2 elderly ladies coming for lunch on Thursday ...... this is what they are having for their lunch.......,

Starter.............. a prawn tower, king prawns bought on offer for the equivalent of £2. They will be layered with finely shredded lettuce 40p, and enough left to last for another 3 or 4 meals, and supermarket brand cream cheese.
Main................ sirloin steak bought on offer for £4.50 for 4 pieces bought on their on the sell by date and been in the freezer for 2 weeks now. They will be braised on a bed of onions and carrots and served with mashed spuds and broccoli, say another £1.50 at the most and pudding will be a large tin of peaches bought cheap, cheap at Aldi,less than £1, cooked in some apple liquior someone brought us at sometime with a sprinkle of cinamon and served with vanilla icecream another £1.50.

They do not drink anything more than a shandy or water so no big expense on booze.

£11 to feed 4 at what will look like a posh lunch party is not bad. To be honest I could have done without it but had promised them so can not let them down. They are both over 80.

Sorry to have gone on and on, but you can do it...........if you smoke it is a good time to give up.
 
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you could locally advertise yourself as a dog walker - then you get money and exercise? Double win.
:chores016:
Depends if you like dogs i guess?!?!?!

lol i have 2 myself at home but my mum walks them over the field every morning before when im getting ready for work...
 
Hi, I follow extra easy and we used to spend a fortune in Tesco every week. We are now down to around £20 a week.

We write our shopping list at home, and then check the prices on the Tesco website to see how much we are spending and then make sure we stick to the list.

xx

I wish we could get ours down to £20 - currently on about £70 wk for 2 adults & 1 child (inc hubbys pack lunches etc)

Can I ask what meals you make as i'm really struggling to come up with cheap family meals (fed up of eating diff to family)
 
Some brilliant ideas here especially this one of Mrs. Bears. What a brilliant way to get some really enjoyable exercise and get paid. I know you work so time-wise it could be hard but there are folks like me that work at the weekends who would love someone to *do* my animals at lunchtime for me.

Right on the food front............... our financial situation is precarious to say the very least. We have no regular source of income and never know how much we will have.

To be able to cope with what would otherwise become a depressing way of life I enjoy the challenge of managing on what we have each week. It becomes really enjoyable seeing just what you can buy and what food you can produce on next to nothing.

The only meat we eat is what I buy that is on it's sell buy date and 2 for the price of one. In other words half price. If you freeze it is still as fresh as the day you bought it when you come to use it. I too use normal mince and drain the fat off when it is cooked or if it is in a stew I make it the day before, leave it in the fridge over night and then lift off any fat that has solidified. A bit more work but worth it.
I use lots of chickpeas as a substitute for meat, also haricot beans and lentils. I buy all of them cooked, they come in jars here and are so cheap.
A cottage pie made with baked beans instead of mince meat is delicious if you spice up the beans a little with some cumin or some 5 spice. I chop onion very finely and add it to the mash and put the lot in the oven to brown the top off. If we have cheese, which is most of the time ( Iceland have some great cheese offers and it freezes so well ) I use my hex allowance to top it off.....yummy and so cheap.
I make stews and soups with whatever is cheapest at the time. At the moment I am buying carrots at a ridiculously cheap price, so carrot, onion and potato soup is on the menu.
Green days are more normal here but Turkey is on offer and so cheap so I have 2 turkey fillets for tomorrow and I am doing pizza topped turkey tomorrow. It will not be exactly as the recipe but will still be good and very cheap.
Recently red peppers and tomatoes were a give-away price so I bought loads and put them in the freezer uncooked. I am still taking them out and using them to cook with.
Eggs too are a cheap and nutricious source of protien and free on all plans. I make a huge Spanish omelet, that is with potato and onion as the filling. We have it as a meal hot and the rest is eaten cold in slices for the weekends lunch box or just for lunch with lots of salad in season. Curried eggs is another one, SW, egg chips and beans, SW quiche etc.etc.
I could go on forever with economy meals and ways to safe money so if you want to PM me with anything at all please feel free too.

Just before I go.....I have 2 elderly ladies coming for lunch on Thursday ...... this is what they are having for their lunch.......,

Starter.............. a prawn tower, king prawns bought on offer for the equivalent of £2. They will be layered with finely shredded lettuce 40p, and enough left to last for another 3 or 4 meals, and supermarket brand cream cheese.
Main................ sirloin steak bought on offer for £4.50 for 4 pieces bought on their on the sell by date and been in the freezer for 2 weeks now. They will be braised on a bed of onions and carrots and served with mashed spuds and broccoli, say another £1.50 at the most and pudding will be a large tin of peaches bought cheap, cheap at Aldi,less than £1, cooked in some apple liquior someone brought us at sometime with a sprinkle of cinamon and served with vanilla icecream another £1.50.

They do not drink anything more than a shandy or water so no big expense on booze.

£11 to feed 4 at what will look like a posh lunch party is not bad. To be honest I could have done without it but had promised them so can not let them down. They are both over 80.

Sorry to have gone on and on, but you can do it...........if you smoke it is a good time to give up.


Thank you very much for this! I really appreciate it. i dont smoke and i dont drink alcohol either so that ones out the window lol. but i will definately take your views on board. I think i will switch to green for a bit and see if this helps and as its usually my mum who does the food shopping (were both on tight budget since my dad left few months ago) so green may be better financially and might give my weight loss a boost too! :rolleyes:
 
Hi. Someone posted this when I asked a similar question a few months back. It's super long but has loads of tips-

· plan your meals for the week, make a shopping list and get only for the ingredients you need to make them
· start by looking at what you have in the cupboard/freezer already and choose meal options that will use them up
· cook your meals from scratch as pre-prepared sauces will be more expensive and you'll know exactly what has gone into them
· plan to use leftovers for other meals or for lunch the next day eg if you are cooking rice for dinner one day, make extra, throw in some leftover veggies and a fat-free dressing and you have lunch for day two
· cook one meal for the whole family not different ones
· seasonal fruit and veg is always cheaper so plan your meals around what it available
· take advantage of special offers - most supermarkets do cut price fruit and veg each week - and shop around to get the best prices. Check out offers and prices on comparison websites.
· try out the 'discount' supermarkets like lidl or aldi. Not everything is cheaper but many things are such as tinned tomatoes, pulses etc
· check out local shops such as greengrocers and butchers because supermarkets are not always the cheapest option
· frozen fruit and veg can be cheaper than fresh and a good alternative
· go green rather than red as meat is more expensive
· if doing EE then bulk out your meals with cheaper ingredients such as pulses, lentils, meat-free mince so you use less meat
· if buying meat go for cheaper cuts and invest in a slow cooker. Or buy joints and whole chickens that can be used across several meals rather than packs of chicken breasts
· beans, lentils and pulses are all good sources of protein and much cheaper than fish and meat
· batch cook meals taking advantage of special offers and freeze portions so they are ready for use
· go for shop own-brands rather than premium brands as they are usually just as good and a lot cheaper
· you don't have to buy mullerlights. There are several supermarket versions that are also syn free or other brands that are on special offer such as activia or shape zero
· know where your supermarket puts the things that are nearly out-of-date. You can sometimes pick up bargains on things like meats
· if you have storage then big bags of staples like pasta and rice can save money in the long-term - asda are selling 2 x 3kg bags of pasta for £3 at the moment
· invest in a water filter rather than buy expensive bottled water
· have breakfast at home so you're not tempted to eat on the go
· if you and/or your husband work, take lunch with you rather than buying out
· make your own versions of favourite family takeaway meals - save on the £s and the lbs
· and don't shop when you are hungry!
 
Buy potatoes by the sack/half sack! We buy a half sack 12.5kg for £ 3.95! Lasts us a month.

Look at your snacks, do you really need them all?
Could you swap synned crisps for roasted potato skins and homemade salsa?
Buying a couple of bananas/apples/plums from the veggie shop every day is preferable to throwing stuff out!
Muller lights are not compulsory!
You don't need a 100 different superfree veg every day either!
Frozen veg is often fresher than fresh!!
Value pasta is perfectly good!
Invest in freezer bags divide up things like sausages when you buy them and freeze them in twos, stops you having four to use them up!
 
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